A Tangled Web
by Phedre no Delaunay
Summary: A strange and scheming new force has made a mess of things. Once things have calmed down, Pluto fixes the mess. However, the emotional toll of constantly changing destinies is heavy. The Gundam boys must learn to cope...or else.
1. Prologue

So...random cliches abound. Sort of. And, there are a couple of really common pairings. So...yeah, sorry. However, there will not be betrayal, major OOC or anything really ridiculous. So...yeah. In GW, it's after Endless Waltz, and the pilots are all 17-18. (Quatre and Duo are 17, the rest are 18). In SM, it's after Stars, and the senshi are in their second year of high school, age 16-17. (Usagi and Rei are 17, the rest are 16). Mamoru is 20, Haruka and Michiru are 18, and Hotaru is 14-ish. Puu is old. I know that the dates won't line up exactly, but the story will start in early summer of 1996, except the prologue and the bits that take place in the GW time. If the prologue confuses you…well, good. You'll have to read more to get un-confused. Warnings: Maybe AU, depending on your definition. I don't really think so. Some shonen-ai. A love-triangle, for good measure. Complicated themes, some violence. Maybe a little sex and language if I feel naughty. Nothing will be explicit. Okay, story time!

**PROLOGUE**

The first child was the easiest to take. Its mother did not know that she was pregnant, even at three months along. It was a simple task, slipping into her room while she slept alone. Her husband was visiting one of his other wives, leaving her vulnerable. He gently coaxed the child from her body and cast a protective shield over it, one that would keep it alive long enough to be implanted in another womb. Oh yes, so easy.

Before a child was born, the Web of its Destiny contained only the barest strands. Normally, it would still be shaped by its mother and environment. Such a small Web made replacing it simple. As the child grew, the Web grew, adding strands with each action, each thought. Large Webs, adult Webs, were much more difficult to replace or alter. At a certain point, the Web became such an integral part of the person that removing it would cause instant death. But, children were malleable. Once he replaced this child's Web with a new one, he could make the jump into the future and return it to the safety of a womb.

Yes, the first child was the easiest.

The next two were not particularly difficult, either. Two years later, one child's mother left him locked in the car while she ran into the grocery store to buy milk. Within a month, the third child was taken in the night from his bedroom. The next two children, however, proved frustrating.

The fourth child he found was never alone, even for a second. He had good parents, observant parents. Even at night, he slept in a room with his elder brother. The risk was too great to take the child and be noticed, so he settled down to observe. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. The child grew, his Web grew. Still his parents watched, his brother watched. Finally tired of waiting, he made an opportunity.

The family drove through the mountains, laughing and singing on their way to their first official vacation. He reached out, tugged at a few strings on the father's Web, and the car veered off the road, over the cliff. Before the child could die, he wrapped him in a protective shield, and pulled him from the wreckage. The parents were dead. The elder brother lived, if barely. He tugged at one of the Web strands, just hard enough to ensure that the boy would not remember anything. With a head injury like that, no one would know the difference.

The only difficulty with the fifth and final child was his elusiveness. He searched and searched for the fifth, but it took almost two more years. He even took to prowling the streets in human guise, simply hoping he would run across the child. Eventually, he did. Big green eyes stared up at him hopefully.

"Finger puppet, two soles." The boy shoved his hand, each finger covered with llamas or pumas, in his face. Glancing around, he decided to take a chance. He reached out and touched the boy's head, and the two of them disappeared.

* * *

Sailor Pluto watched the events unfold from her post at the Gates of Time. For the time being, she would have to wait. Interfering now would undo everything her Queen had done to ensure the princess's safety. Now, she could do nothing. But, in time, she could fix it. She had only to wait. Thirteen years. In thirteen years, she would undo the mess that had been made.

* * *

In the year AC 180, Catherine Winner gave birth to a little boy, a child full of Destiny. Her death was only the first in a long line of deaths the child would cause. Two years later, a little boy called Duo began brightening up an orphanage. He would remain there for four years before his Destiny tugged him along on a great adventure. Around the same time, a child was secretly adopted by the powerful Dragon Clan. The adoption was never revealed to him, and he was loved well enough as a true member of his family. Some time later, Odin Lowe and the child who would become Heero Yuy met, setting Heero on his path. And, No-Name, later called Trowa Barton, was taken in by soldiers.

The Webs crafted for each boy were specifically designed. No matter where their early life dragged them, they would find their way together and they would fulfil their new Destinies.

* * *

In the year AC 198, Quatre wanted to cry. He wanted to pound his fists into something, wanted to scream out his frustrations for all to hear. He wanted Trowa to hold him. But he dared not. Throwing a tantrum like a child would achieve nothing, and asking Trowa to hold him would probably scare his friend off. Instead, he paced, he wrung his hands. The tears still threatened, but he held them fiercely at bay.

After the war, he had plenty to occupy himself with. His father's company was still strong and needed his care. He had many new sisters to meet and develop relationships with. Trowa visited whenever the circus was nearby. But, then the quiet times came. Before bed or early in the morning, sometimes in a lull during the day. No one spoke to him, and his thoughts were not consumed with business or other people. During the quiet times, he remembered the war and its all-consuming thrill. At the time, he had not particularly liked the killing or the pain. Now, it was worse. Empty. Quiet.

"Are you all right?" Trowa asked. Quatre stopped pacing and looked at him.

"Yeah. Sorry. Sometimes I just…" He trailed off, unsure of how to describe the feeling.

"I know."

For Trowa, the two words said everything. Before Quatre could stop himself, the tears came and he threw himself at his friend. For a terrifying second, he thought Trowa would pull away, would run. But Trowa only wrapped his arms around the small, shaking body pressed against him, offering whatever comfort he could give.

* * *

Heero watched Relena. Her hair was short again, falling loosely to her shoulders. The cream pantsuit was perfectly tailored, elegant and flattering. She wore no jewelry, only the faintest hint of makeup. She was beautiful, engaging. He watched as the other politicians watched, enthralled. She was brilliant. She was his only purpose, now that the war was over. He watched because there was nothing else.

* * *

Zechs and Noin were getting married, and Wufei tried his hardest to be happy for them. They were in love, and now, after a long and painful war, they could finally be together. He congratulated them, planned to attend both the bachelor party and the wedding, and all the while mourned. His experience with marriage was less than stellar. Still, it wasn't his own dead wife that was really the problem. Nor was it the sting of Sally Po, the new man in her life who would probably end up her husband in a few years. No, something else was nagging at the back of his mind.

It had been there ever since the war ended, growing with each passing day. He joined the Preventers to stave off the feeling of uselessness, and at times it worked. He could keep busy, not think about it. But that didn't stop it.

* * *

Duo found he could still laugh with Hilde…sometimes. He could still function, still work. It just…wasn't the same. His all-consuming purpose for years had been Deathscythe, his title as God of Death. War. It was gone now, and he waited. Waited for a reason, an objective. He only hoped it would present itself soon.

* * *

The thirteen years passed as Sailor Pluto expected them to. Her princess grew up, grew strong. She had her moments, terrifying Pluto with her amazing ineptness, but she always pulled through. Her friends protected her as expected, her prince loved her. Things fell into place as Destiny dictated.

Meanwhile, in the future, a war raged. People who were Destined to die died. Five boys lived, fought, grew. Then, their Destiny ran out with the war. They had served a purpose, and were now cast aside like so much garbage. The mess had run its course, and now, Sailor Pluto would fix it.

* * *

Future chapters will be significantly longer and less…disjointed. And less stylistically weird. And hopefully easier to comprehend. As I said, don't worry about being confused. Things will get explained eventually. Telling everything now would ruin the fun, now wouldn't it?

Anyway, some grammar is wrong intentionally. So, before you go yelling about fragments and bad commas, thing a bit. True, I probably made some mistakes. But not everything.

If you review this story, don't leave a stupid little "write more" or "malecharacter/femalecharachter." Comment a bit on what you liked or didn't like. I know it's short, and I'm not expecting huge reviews. Just…smart reviews. You guys aren't dumb. I have faith that you can do it if you just try. I'm totally open to even really harsh constructive criticism. "You suck" isn't con crit, by the way.

Okay, that's all for now. Until next time.

Phèdre nó Delaunay, Comtesse de Montrève


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Trowa always knew when he was dreaming. Fog danced at the edges of the world, and usually nothing made sense. Thoughts and actions swirled together until it was impossible to tell them apart. This experience was similar to one of those dreams, with the fog and an inability to control his actions. But, his thoughts were clear, and there was such an intense focus that he could hardly pass it off as a normal dream. Unnerved, he tried to rouse himself, but sleep held fast.

He was following a small boy down a cobblestone street. The buildings that lined the street were packed tight and butted right up against the road, leaving no room for trees or grass. In front of the restaurants, employees holding menus attempted to lure customers. No one approached him. No one even looked his way, though he didn't particularly mind.

The child had brown hair, a little lighter than most of the others in the street, but not to the point that he seemed foreign. Not more than five years old, he looked plump under the thick layers of brightly colored clothing he wore. Trowa wondered if he was really healthy, though. It was a chilly morning, and the boy walked alone, no parent or guardian in sight. Any one of the people on the street could grab the child, and nobody would notice.

The street ended when it hit a huge plaza. He assumed it was early morning, and even so, the square teemed with activity. Small taxis hurtled through the streets bordering the plaza, picking up tourists and backpackers. At one end, two huge, imposing cathedrals adjacent to each other loomed over the surrounding buildings. They were built of stone and dark wood, and were probably hundreds of years old. The rest of the buildings surrounding the square were upscale restaurants, nightclubs and shops. Tourists, foreign-looking with store-bought clothing and light hair, wandered in and out of buildings, trying to avoid street vendors.

The little boy began approaching tourists, attempting to sell them finger puppets. Most of them ignored him. Trowa watched, heartbroken. What kind of parents sent such a small boy out to make money on the streets by himself?

"That was you, thirteen years ago."

Trowa whirled, surprised by the sudden sound. The woman who had spoken was tall and beautiful, if strangely dressed. The city around him disappeared, leaving a void, empty except for him and the woman.

"Who are you?" he asked. She smiled.

"I am called Sailor Pluto. There is a great deal I must tell you, and you must trust that I speak the truth."

Trowa stared at her for a moment, evaluating. "What is it you have to tell me?"

"Over a period of four years, you and four others were taken from your rightful homes on Earth in the twentieth century." Trowa started to protest, but Sailor Pluto held her hand up. "The…creature that took you is very powerful, and, among other things, can manipulate time without my consent. The five children were chosen for their specific abilities, and were deposited in the future."

"Why?"

As Sailor Pluto explained the nature of Destiny and the purpose of the kidnapper, Trowa remained doubtful. He didn't believe in Destiny, and the thought that it manifested itself as a web that someone could take out and replace seemed ridiculous. Sailor Pluto seemed to discern his doubt, though.

"Have you not noticed how empty life seems, now that the war is over? You have the peace and freedom you fought for, loving relationships, a steady job that keeps you busy and that you enjoy…and still, it feels incomplete. You feel restless, without purpose. When I return you to your proper time, some of that feeling will be lifted."

"And if I wanted to stay here?"

Pluto frowned. "It's generally best that people stay in their proper times. However, you and your friends are in a unique position. You will spend one year in the past, and after that time, I will let you choose. You have three days, so I suggest you say your good-byes."

She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Trowa alone in the void.

After what seemed like only a few moments, he jerked awake to the sound of a ringing telephone. He slid out of bed, slightly disoriented, and trudged over to the phone on his dresser. It was still dark out, but he found the phone easily and picked it up.

"Trowa?" It was Quatre, and he sounded distraught. Trowa flicked the light switch on the wall, illuminating his room. "I know it's the middle of the night for you, but I had the most bizarre dream..."

Trowa didn't respond for a moment. Sitting on the dresser next to the phone, a little finger puppet sat, staring at him.

* * *

Usagi stared at the clock and willed the minute hand to move faster. It was three twenty-seven...just three minutes until class let out. Three twenty-eight. Her stomach growled. Three twenty-nine. The teacher was assigning some kind of homework, but Usagi paid no attention. Her weekend was going to be so full of Mamoru that she wouldn't have any time for homework. Three twenty-nine...three twenty-nine...three twenty-nine...three thirty.

In her mind, she leapt for joy. It had been the longest three minutes of her life. Shoving a few papers into her bag, she bolted up from her chair and out of the classroom. She had to get home as soon as possible to pack and head over to Makoto's place. Once there, she'd change into nice clothes so Mamoru could take her out to a fancy restaurant and a movie without her parents knowing. After the movie, she was going to spend the night with him.

She made it home in record time and was up in her room before her mother could ask her what the rush was. She scrounged around in the back of her closet, shoving piles of old clothing out of the way until she found what she'd been looking for. The shopping bag contained all the necessary supplies for Operation: Seduce Mamoru. Checking to make sure her room was, in fact, empty, she darted out of the closet and dumped the supplies into her overnight bag. Then she covered it with a bunch of extra clothes and some comic books for good measure. Her parents weren't in the habit of digging through her bag, but one could never be too careful.

If her father saw that her bag contained sexy lingerie and condoms, Mamoru would probably be castrated and Usagi would spend the rest of her life locked in her room.

"And just where are you going?"

Luna...damn. She could go either way...

"To Makoto's," Usagi said, laying the innocence on thick. She was good at that.

"Uh-huh." If Luna had had an eyebrow to quirk, she would have done so. Usagi ignored her and slung the bag over her shoulder. When she left the room, Luna curled up on her bed to sleep. Usagi's parents didn't cause her any problems either, only insisting that she be home in time for dinner the next day.

She caught a bus around the corner and squeezed through the heavy afternoon crowd. Thankfully, it was a short ride to Makoto's apartment building.

"That was fast," Makoto commented as her friend entered the apartment. "I just got home a couple of minutes ago."

"I ran home, and mom didn't try to stop me. I think Luna knows, though."

Makoto chuckled at the worried expression on her friend's face. "Well, it's not like she can tell your parents. Go get changed. I'm making some cookies in the kitchen."

Usagi squealed excitedly at the prospect of cookies and ran into the bathroom to change. She slipped out of her school uniform and plain, cotton underthings and redressed in lacy lingerie and the little black dress she'd purchased just for the occasion. For a couple of minutes, she twirled around in front of the mirror, paying special attention to making sure her stomach did not stick out too far. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she left the bathroom and darted into the kitchen.

The cookies were still in the oven, so she and Makoto sat down at the table to wait. Usagi couldn't help but fidget nervously. Not only was she anxious for cookies, but she was also beginning to have doubts about her date. What if Mamoru didn't want to have sex with her? What if she was terrible in bed? What if...

Simultaneously, their communicators started beeping. Sailor Mercury's face appeared.

"Usagi here. What's going on?"

"Youma attack. I was on my way to the library, and heard people screaming. You know the park about two blocks from the library?"

"Yeah. We'll be there."

Flipping their communicators closed, Usagi and Makoto looked at each other and then bolted for the door.

* * *

Sailors Mars and Venus reached the battle at about the same moment, and with no time to lose. The youma was a large black spider with a red-striped, bulbous body. It had caught Sailor Mercury with its silk and was steadily pulling the warrior in. Mars reacted instantly.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" she shouted. The fiery arrow ripped trough the silk, breaking it and setting Sailor Mercury free. Scampering away from the spider, she joined Venus in an attack.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The spider put up two of its legs in defense. Most of the attack was deflected, but the two legs were rendered mostly useless. The spider hissed angrily and shot webbing at the girls. They scattered, avoiding the blast and surrounding the youma. For a moment, the opponents stared each other down, until finally, Mars grew impatient.

"All together," she said forcefully, lifting her hands for another attack. As the other girls did the same, they heard another voice.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The attack plowed into the spider's side, and the three girls took the opportunity to release their own attacks. The spider howled in pain, curling its legs up close to its body, unable to move further. Emerging from the trees, Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter joined their companions.

"What is it?" Sailor Moon asked. In response, Sailor Mercury flipped open her computer for an analysis.

"_Latrodectus atritus_, commonly called the black katipo. It's a rare widow spider, and it's extremely venomous."

Sailor Moon scrunched up her nose. "I think it needs to be squished." The spiral moon heart rod appeared in her hand and she raised it above her head. "Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!" True to her word, Sailor Moon squished the spider with the giant pink heart.

For a moment, the girls caught their breath. None of them had been expecting any youma to appear. They were under the impression that they would be free from battle until after Mamoru and Usagi took the throne. The fight had not been particularly difficult, but it was jarring none the less.

"I think the people it attacked are down that path a ways," Mercury said. The group carefully picked their way through the trees to the next clearing. At the other end, two women were caught in giant spider webs, pale and unconscious.

"Be careful, guys," Mars warned, holding her arms out to prevent her friends from moving forward. "Something doesn't feel right."

They approached the webs cautiously, all the while looking around for signs of danger. It wasn't until they were directly in front of the victims that they noticed what was wrong. Sailor Moon detected it first, and let out a startled yelp. The women had odd, black holes in their chests that were filled with white, oblong-shaped...things.

Sailor Mercury again began analyzing with her computer. After a moment, her nose wrinkled in disgust and her face turned vaguely green.

"What? Are they dead?" Venus asked, her voice shaking.

"No. I don't know exactly what's wrong with them, but those white things are eggs. Fly eggs." Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus turned green as well.

"That's disgusting," Jupiter said. "They'll hatch into maggots. How do we get them out of there without hurting the women?"

Nobody had a chance to respond. From out of the trees, a blast of sticky webbing came at them. Mars and Jupiter managed to dodge, but the other three girls were caught, their arms bound at their sides. Another spider emerged from the forest, holding the end of the web with two of its legs. This spider was shaped similarly to the other, but its body was red and it had a violent orange stripe on its back.

The senshi caught in the sticky web struggled to break free, but the strands held fast. Slowly, steadily, the spider began reeling the fibers in, pulling the girls closer. Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter got to their feet and prepared to attack, but stopped short when they heard the spider speak.

"You will pay for killing my brother," it hissed angrily. Faster than anyone could detect, two more of its legs gathered silk and hurled it at the two free warriors. This time, though, they were not taken off guard.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The attacks destroyed the snare heading their way, slamming into the side of the spider. It stumbled, but kept hold of the other girls. Unfortunately for the spider, another ally had arrived to aid the trapped warriors. From up in the trees, a rose shot out and sliced through the webbing, setting Sailor Moon and her friends free. Sailor Moon wasted no time in unleashing her attack.

"Rainbow Moon Heart Ache!"

The spider met the same fate as its brother. In its ashes, two intricate, glowing webs remained. The webs it had spun to hold its initial victims dissolved, and the two women fell unceremoniously to the ground. Sailor Mercury ran over to check on them, and was dismayed to find that they were just as pale as they had been before. Apparently, it wasn't the spider's webs that had been the problem.

Meanwhile, Sailor Venus cautiously approached the two webs that had been left behind after the spider's destruction. She brushed her hand against one of them, and when nothing serious happened, she picked it up. Sailor Mars followed her lead. Then, the two girls turned and walked toward the unconscious women. When they were only a few feet away, the webs were ripped from their hands.

The webs settled over the holes in the women's chests, pushing the fly eggs out and onto the ground. Once in place, the holes disappeared, and almost immediately, the women began regaining some color. Sailor Mars incinerated the fly eggs before they had the chance to cause any more problems. Then, she turned to her friends.

"I think that's all of them. I don't feel anything else, but we shouldn't let our guard down," she said.

Tuxedo Kamen spoke up. "It looks like the women are coming around. We should probably get out of here." He turned to Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter. "My car's just a couple of blocks away. I'll give you a ride."

* * *

After dropping Makoto off and grabbing Usagi's things, Mamoru took his girlfriend back to his apartment. They had missed their dinner reservation at Usagi's favorite, reasonably priced Italian restaurant, and neither of them had the energy to try for a movie. The physical strain of fighting a new enemy had not been any more draining than any other fight they'd ever had. But, the emotional toll that accompanied the resurgence of violence in their lives was sufficient to wear them out.

Once in the door, Usagi kicked off here shoes and stumbled into the living room, collapsing on the couch. As Mamoru was removing his own shoes, he glanced down and noticed that the blonde's footwear was not the normal, cutesy style she generally wore. These were black pumps, with heals no less. He grinned, imagining the clumsy girl practicing walking back and forth in her room for hours, generally failing.

He nudged on a pair of slippers and padded into the kitchen to look for food. Usagi was always hungry, and would no doubt be in need of sustenance. However, when he opened the refrigerator door, he had to cringe slightly. He had some milk, a few random vegetables and some leftover chicken that probably needed to be thrown out. The contents of the freezer were no more inspiring.

He moved into the living room, where Usagi had not budged. "What do you think about ordering...some...pizza," he asked. His voice almost cracked.

The strap of Usagi's dress had slipped down her shoulder, revealing creamy skin and a lacy, black bra. He immediately averted his eyes and tried not to blush. She jumped up from the sofa, excited at the prospect of food. Instinctively, she slid the strap back into place, completely unaware of the effect the image had had on him.

"Pizza sounds great. And, can we get those cinnamon breadstick thingys?"

He nodded and retreated back into the kitchen. He could hear her squeal happily. Sighing, he picked up the phone and placed the order, his mouth forming the words on autopilot while his mind tried to process what had just happened. By the time he hung up the phone, he decided that there could only be one explanation—Usagi was trying to seduce him. Or, at least, that had been the plan before the spider youma had shown up.

He hadn't understood why she had insisted on getting her bag from Makoto's place, when the agreed upon plan was that she would spend the night there after their date. He'd let it slide, thinking that perhaps it was that time of the month (an issue he did NOT want to question her about) or some such thing. The shoes may have been a whim, an attempt to feel older and more mature. The lacy bra could have been the same, but all three of them together were too suspicious. This had been deliberately planned.

Shaking his head, he decided not to worry too much about it. After the youma attack, there was no way either of them had the energy for much more than some cuddling in front of the television and sleep. He'd decide what to do about it later.

When he reentered the living room, he saw Usagi, next to his stereo, flipping through CDs. The idea of music appealed to him even more than watching television. They could just sit together on the couch, eating pizza, listening to music and relaxing. He moved behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder and examining the CDs she was looking at. She smiled up at him briefly and leaned back against his chest.

Together they picked out a jazzy, American vocalist whose music was a lot more soothing than the typical pop fare Usagi generally chose to listen to. Then they made their way back to the couch, content to sit together without speaking, just holding each other, winding down after the eventful evening.

Less than ten minutes later, the peace was shattered when the doorbell rang. Usagi reluctantly untangled herself, and Mamoru frowned.

"It's too early for the pizza," he grumbled, getting to his feet and heading to the door. It was too late for casual visitors, though, so it was probably important.

Meioh Setsuna stood in his doorway, and the tense, serious air that had almost abated returned, full force. Without a word, he stepped to the side and let her in, closing the door behind her. He followed her into the living room, dreading whatever it was she was about to tell them. The guardian of time did not generally come bearing good news, especially with the advent of a new enemy. Whatever it was she had to say, it was bound to be grim.

Usagi had turned off the music and moved next to him when he entered the room. Without speaking, he slid his hand into hers, taking comfort in her presence. Really, whatever news Setsuna brought, it would more directly influence, and upset, Usagi. He should have been comforting her.

To his surprise, Setsuna smiled. "No need to look like someone died. Not tonight, anyway. Though, you may want to sit down."

Mamoru let out a sigh of relief and sank down onto the sofa. Usagi snuggled up next to him, looking intently at Setsuna.

"What's this about?" the blond asked. "Those spiders?"

"Only in small part. We'll need to have a meeting at Hikawa Jinja tomorrow to discuss those particulars. I'll make sure Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru are there. You'll need to inform the others. Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot yet. Hopefully I'll be able to find some answers later tonight. But, that's not the main reason I came tonight."

She turned to speak directly to Mamoru. "You may be upset with me for keeping this from you for so long, but I assure you, I had your best interests at heart. In fact, had I known the spiders were going to start causing trouble, I wouldn't be telling you now. But, things have already been set in motion." She took a nervous breath. "You were not the only child born to your parents in this time."

The words hit him like an anvil, and he squeezed Usagi's hand so hard she winced. "What?"

"He is two years younger than you, and survived the car crash through a very odd set of circumstances..."

Mamoru cut her off. "How? What's his name? Where is he?"

"Let me finish." Mamoru shut up. When Setsuna gave you that look, you obeyed. "The name your parents gave him is Hiroyuki, though he's been going by Heero as long as he can remember. He survived the crash the same way you did—pure, dumb luck. And he's been in the future."

Mamoru was about to interrupt again, but the guardian of time held up her finger, continuing the glare.

"Those spiders you fought...they have the ability to travel through time without my permission. They don't tend to mettle in human affairs, but for some reason, they took your brother and a few other young children into the future. There is somewhat more to the story that I will explain tomorrow when everyone else is present, but the important part is that I'm bringing them back to their proper time. What I need to know is if you'll be willing to let him stay with you or if I should arrange for alternate lodgings. I can assure you of his character—he won't try to rob you or murder you in your sleep."

"O...of course he can stay here," Mamoru said, dazed. Setsuna smiled.

"Good. He'll be here around dinnertime on Monday. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do before tomorrow. And, I think your pizza is here."

Before Mamoru could ask one of the millions of questions floating around in his head, she vanished, most likely back to the time gates. Seconds later, the doorbell rang, announcing the pizza's arrival.

He was having a hard time making his body move, so he was thankful when Usagi got up and answered the door. When she reentered a moment later with the food, his mouth had finally regained function.

"I have a brother," he stated, not really believing the words.

"Eat. It'll help," she said. He nodded and did as he was told. Really, food would probably help Usagi a lot more than it would help him. He was pretty hungry, though.

They ate in silence, and in typical Usagi form, the food didn't last long. Again, she let him sit on the couch while she took the trash into the kitchen to be dumped, and then she settled back down with him. His arm went around her shoulders automatically.

"I have a brother, and he's going to be here on Monday."

Usagi giggled. "I think it's exciting. You've always wanted family, and now you have a chance." She wiggled into his lap and looked him straight in the eye. "I'll be here with you when he shows up. And you'll see...everything is going to be wonderful."

And then she kissed him, and everything was wonderful.

* * *

Wow...finally done. That last scene just wouldn't get written. I hadn't planned on it being that long, but apparently it needed to be. I'm happy with it.

I never intended for there to be that much time between updates on this story. And, hopefully, there won't be such a huge gap before the next chapter. I already know what I want to happen, so, hopefully I can get it done in a reasonable amount of time.

Anyway, let me know what you think—we've got characters, battles, romance, a plot starting to emerge...comment on anything like that, and I'll love you forever. As always, I love constrictive criticism.

Tenshi no Nozomi wins the award for most perceptive review on chapter one for guessing about spiders and Mamoru's car wreck. Though, I kinda inadvertently gave her a hint with the spiders...

Another random note...I chose to use Sailor Moon's Rainbow Moon Heart Ache attack because it seemed to fit best. All the attacks she uses after that either require Chibi-Usa (who isn't in this story, so they can't be used) or are intended to heal humans who have been turned into youma. These spiders must actually be destroyed, so I had went back and picked the most recent attack that actually destroyed youma. Okay...just didn't want anyone jumping down my throat about it. Besides...what's a cooler way to die than getting smack by a giant, pink heart? That's how I wanna go.

(For the record, I'm not clever enough to come up with a new attack for her...so I'm just gonna be lazy and use an old one.)

Phèdre nó Delaunay

PS: Don't start freaking out about how you hate Mamoru or just don't like Usagi with him or whatever. First of all, there's no guarantee they stay together (you'll just have to wait and find out ) and second of all...I just don't care. I think Mamoru is stud-ly and adorable, and I don't get why people don't like him. Okay, mini-rant over. Thanks!


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